This invention relates to improvements in a shoe for crawler belts of hydraulic shovels, tractors, tractor shovels, and other crawler type vehicles.
Conventionally, to protect the road surface against the roughing effect of the crawlers of running vehicles, each shoe of the crawlers is made, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, by securing a shoe plate 2 to track links 3 by bolts 5 and nuts 6 and then affixing an elastic thread plate 1 to the other side of the shoe plate by thermal fitting or bonding. However, because of its rather low resistance to shearing loads, the elastic tread plate thus supported on one side only, with the remainder of its surfaces exposed, tends to be damaged by the shearing loads to which it is subjected during the running of the vehicle. This necessitates frequent replacement of the elastic plates.
In addition, the elastic tread plate can often be chipped locally when it touches a sharp edge of rock or the like, again calling for frequent downtime for replacement.
Another crawler shoe of the prior art uses an elastic tread plate 1 not directly affixed by thermal fitting to the shoe plate 2 but, as shown in FIG. 3, to a rigid interlayer 4, which in turn is secured to the shoe plate 2 by bolts 5 and nuts 6 which fasten the plate 2 and links 3 together. This arrangement is again not desirable for the travel of the crawlers, because the elastic member often suffers damage.
It is further noted that field operations of the crawler-type equipment are apt to cause damage of their shoes and, under severe site conditions, the crawler shoes have to be replaced as often as not.
The present invention has for its object to overcome the foregoing disadvantages and provide a crawler shoe which has adequate strength, reduces the noise of the running vehicle, and protects the road on which it bears.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following disclosure.